Flow cell powertrain stuns with extreme data

February 10, 2015 //
By Christoph Hammerschmidt

nanoFlowcell AG will showcase the Quant F at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The F model is the completely re-engineered successor to the E model, a sports sedan powered by a very unique technology: A flow battery, a kind of hybrid from fuel cell and an electrochemical battery. With the F model, nanoFlowcell intends to test the limits of this technology.

The nanoFlowcell engineers developed an all-new powertrain for the Quant F. Through a two-speed transmission, the 802 kW electric motor drives the vehicle to a top speed of more than 300 kpms (186 mph). "To reach maximum power, we were able to increase the battery voltage to 735 volts, up from 600 volts in the former model. For an electric car, this is a massive increase," said Nunzio La Vecchia, director of development at nanoFlowcell. La Veccia added that he regards increase of voltage and power not as a value in itself but with the goal to test the limits of this technology, to see what is feasible. "For future normal operation of the Quant F, the nominal battery voltage will rather be around 400 volts. This enables an efficient and economic driving style which translates into a higher driving range", he said.

The flow cell has been further developed and generates 50 amps of continuous current which is feed in the also new buffer system. The buffer, in turn, can deliver up to 2000 amps for short periods. "To our knowledge, nobody in the automotive world so far has brought a system to the streets with a maximum current of more than 2000 A", La Vecchia said.

Besides this stunning performance, the nanoFlowcell engineers also increased the driving range to more than 800 km (about 500 miles), up from 600 km for the model E. Which certainly is an achievement, given the fact that with its length of 5.25 metres, the Quant F is a full-fledged sedan, not a tiny sports roadster.